US Capitol Police apprehended a Mississippi man with a firearm near the north entry point to the grounds of the complex on Monday.
Wendell J. Royster of Columbia, Miss., had driven up to the north roadblock shortly before 11:30 a.m. when an officer spotted a weapon in his lap and detained him.
According to a Capitol Police spokesperson, the 67-year-old was asking the officer for directions to the United States Supreme Court.
“Currently, there does not appear to be a nexus to the Congress,” the representative said.
The Supreme Court has requested a $228 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including $14.6 million for additional facility security and travel for justices.
Justice Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett will speak before House and Senate subcommittees on Tuesday to request the cash.
In October 2021, a Michigan man was apprehended without incident following an hour-long standoff with Capitol Police, although some justices’ lives have also been threatened.
Nicholas Roske of California threatened to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and appeared at his Maryland home before being arrested in June 2022.
Roske, who is now 19 years old and identifies as transgender, was carrying a Glock 17, ammo, a tactical light, zip ties, pepper spray, and burglary tools.
A federal judge later sentenced Roske to eight years in jail, but prosecutors continue to seek a harsher punishment.
Royster was eventually charged with carrying a firearm without a license or permit. Firearms are prohibited on Capitol grounds.
The area was temporarily closed as authorities examined the event.
Photos showed the driver driving a Ford Bronco with Florida plates. A dog was also in the car.
The dog was tethered inside the car and momentarily hung out a passenger window before being transported to animal control in a police vehicle.
This is the second such event this year. In February, a Georgia man charged at Capitol Police officers with a loaded shotgun, demanding to “talk to a member of Congress.”
Carter Camacho, 18, had parked his Mercedes SUV near the Capitol before running “several hundred yards” and being arrested by police. He wore a tactical vest, gloves, and camouflage-style attire.
A Kevlar helmet was also discovered in his vehicle.
The arrest took place just days before President Trump’s State of the Union address in March.
Some members’ staffers have also been jailed for carrying firearms, most recently the chief of staff to Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who was charged with attempting to bring a revolver into the Capitol.
In December 2025, the staffer, Luis Vega, was charged with two charges of possessing an unregistered firearm while attempting to pass through a security screening checkpoint.
Kevin Batts, who handles security for Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), was arrested in March 2025 for attempting to enter the Capitol with an unlicensed firearm. The charges were later withdrawn.
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